What is the median salary for a lawyer in Boston?

Asked by: Julian Jast  |  Last update: January 13, 2026
Score: 5/5 (68 votes)

The estimated total pay for a Attorney is $264,322 per year in the Boston Ma area, with an average salary of $161,209 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users.

Do lawyers make $500,000 a year?

Well, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for attorneys in the US is just over $125,000. The highest-paid lawyers (10% of the legal workforce) make over $208,000 However, the top 1% of attorneys make $500,000 or more per year.

Is $120000 a good salary in Boston?

The cost of living in Boston, MA is high. $120k/annum allows a single person to make a comfortable living. For a family of 4, a $120k/annum salary would require living within budgetary constraints.

What is the median salary at Boston University law School?

Median starting salary for our graduates is $215,000.

How much do Harvard lawyers make?

How much does a Lawyer make at Harvard University in New York? The estimated average pay for Lawyer at this company in New York is $84,581 per year, which is 17% above the national average.

Average Salary in Boston, MA | How Much Do People Earn in Boston?

25 related questions found

How hard is it to get into BU Law?

As a top-tier law school, BU Law is highly selective and considers many criteria in the admissions process. Test scores and undergraduate GPAs are important components of an application, but numbers alone never determine an admissions decision.

Which field of law pays the most?

Highest-Paid Types of Lawyers
  • Patent attorney: $180,000.
  • Intellectual property (IP) attorney: $162,000.
  • Trial lawyer: $134,000.
  • Tax attorney: $122,000.
  • Corporate lawyer: $115,000.
  • Medical lawyer: $113,000.
  • Real estate lawyer: $98,000.
  • Family lawyer: $93,000.

How much do big law lawyers make in Boston?

How much does a Big Law Attorney make in Boston, Massachusetts? As of Jan 18, 2025, the average annual pay for a Big Law Attorney in Boston is $112,726 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $54.20 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,167/week or $9,393/month.

Can lawyers make 200k a year?

The largest pay increase in actual dollars was in firms of 501 to 700 lawyers, in which the median base salary increased $45,000—from $155,000 in 2021 to $200,000 in 2023. The median first-year salary in firms of more than 1,000 lawyers was $215,000 in 2023.

What is a livable salary in Boston?

According to SmartAsset, if you're moving to Boston, you should have a household income of $120,900, assuming you rent a two-bedroom apartment with a monthly rent of around $2,821. Of course, this figure can scale up or down depending on the number of bedrooms you need.

Can you live comfortably on 120k a year?

Chances are, $120,000 can easily cover an individual's basic expenses with some money left over for entertainment and saving. But if you live in a pricey area or are trying to pay down debt, you may need to be more mindful about how you're managing your money.

How much is $30 an hour annually?

How much is $30 an hour annually? Earning $30 per hour results in a annual income of $62,400. How to calculate annual salary?

What type of lawyer is the richest?

Corporate and tax lawyers tend to be the highest earners, with patent and IP lawyers not far behind. Trial lawyers also pull down a lot of money, particularly in the civil litigation field. Other lawyers are more motivated by getting justice for their clients than by collecting the largest possible paycheck.

Can lawyers make 7 figures?

Corporate Lawyer (Partner)

Though that's far from pocket change, it's certainly not landing you in the earnings tier of a millionaire. That said, corporate lawyers generally stand to make the most and can pull in seven figures a year — if they make partner.

Can you make a million dollars a year as a lawyer?

Can Lawyers Earn a Million Dollars? Despite your legal expertise, the chances of making a million dollars as an independent attorney are low. However, you might earn a million-dollar salary if you become a senior partner at a major firm or start your own practice.

Is Boston a good place to be a lawyer?

Boston is one of the nation's top legal markets with more than 2,000 law firms in the city, ranging from solo practices to major firms employing over 500 lawyers.

Do top lawyers make millions?

How Much Do Top Lawyers Make? According to ALM Global's 2023 Global 100 Ranked by Profits Per Equity Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP (the highest-paid lawyers in the United States) pays their equity partners a whopping $7.52 million per year.

How hard is the bar exam?

The bar exam is hard. In fact, it may be one of the most difficult challenges you ever embark on. You must memorize numerous laws and consume a lot of knowledge to answer questions correctly. For many, it feels like trying to hold sand in your hands, knowing that you'll inevitably lose much of it.

What type of lawyer is most in demand?

Some of the most universally in-demand legal specialties include intellectual property law, family law, immigration law, real estate law, and corporate law. Other quickly growing areas of law also include intellectual property law, data privacy and cybersecurity law, litigation, and labor and employment law.

What is the highest paying job in the world?

1. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Topping the list, being a CEO gets you the highest paying job in the world, no matter where you work. A CEO is the highest-ranked position in any organisation's structure.

How long is law school in Boston?

Our 85-credit BU Law juris doctor degree program is a full-time program requiring three academic years of study.

Is a 3.83 GPA good for law school?

The top 20 schools have their median GPA above 3.7. Three law schools – Yale, University of Chicago and University of Virginia have a median GPA of 3.9 or higher. From the above table, it is evident that a good GPA is an important requirement to make it to these top schools.

Is BU Law prestigious?

After Harvard Law School, Boston University is bean town's highest-ranked school from an academic standpoint. Its high law school admissions standards have helped Boston University Law School score the second-highest bar pass rate in the state.